1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of autonomous vehicles, and, more particularly, to perceiving roadway conditions from fused sensor data.
2. Related Art
Autonomous driving solutions typically use LIDAR sensors to perceive the environment surrounding a vehicle. LIDAR sensors are mounted on a vehicle, often on the roof. The LIDAR sensors have moving parts enabling sensing of the environment 360-degrees around the vehicle out to a distance of around 100-150 meters. Sensor data from the LIDAR sensors is processed to perceive a “view” of the environment around the vehicle. The view is used to automatically control vehicle systems, such as, steering, acceleration, braking, etc. to navigate within the environment. The view is updated on an ongoing basis as the vehicle navigates (moves within) the environment.